Sweet Sacrifice
by moriartyswife
Summary: After years of service and multiple accounts of saving Byron's life, I'd been accepted as a part of this household. It had become the home I never had., the attraction between us still remained, though neither of us would acknowledge it. This was the way it had to be. Maybe I could find someone else to give my heart to, but what I wanted was always right there in front of me.
1. Chapter 1

Wysteria. We were traveling to the castle in a few hours, leaving the comfort of Stein behind for the scrutiny of this unfamiliar territory. Byron is going to meet the new princess, with the hopes of convincing her to marry him. How does he know that she will be good fit as the queen of Stein and Wysteria? It irritated me, but every time she came up in conversation, I kept my concerns to myself. Whatever he chose to do with his life was no concern of mine as long as he kept his promise.

A knock at my door came seconds before it swung open. Albert strode in, nodding appreciatively at my packed trunk of things. "At least someone is prepared. King Byron is asking for you."

It still amazed me how much his attitude toward me had changed over the course of the past year. Sliding my dagger into my boot, I replied, "Of course he is." What have I done now?

As I mulled over the question, I made my way through the hallways. Everything seemed much more peaceful. After years of service and multiple accounts of saving Byron's life, I'd been accepted as a part of this household. It had become the home I never had.

No sooner had I stepped into the room, Bryon started to speak. Most people rarely got to hear him talk so much. "Good, you're here. There's a few things I wanted to discuss with you about this trip. Firstly, try not to make any enemies."

"What's that supposed to mean?" I asked, feigning innocence.

He had yet to look at me, digging through his desk. "Try to be nice. Secondly, do not kill anyone in front of the princess. I'm used to your methods, she isn't."

"If everything goes the way you want it, shouldn't she start to get to used it?" I asked, annoyed. It's much harder to refrain from killing than doing so. Besides, an attempt on royalty is treason, which is punishable by death. Why waste the time having a fair trial or whatever?

"That is an order," Byron said, turning his gaze on me. "Do you ever wear a dress?"

I looked down at my attire: A quarter-sleeve crème shirt, black pants, and knee high brown boots. What's wrong with the way I'm dressed? "Do you want me to protect you while dressed in extremely impractical clothes?" My job doesn't require me to be dressed like that.

Sighing, Bryon shook his head, closing his trunk. "You went out last night. Anything to report?"

"Nothing you need to worry about." This is my job. He has plenty of other things to worry about.

"Rory."

"Byron."

He held my gaze for what felt like eternity before sighing again. "I trust you."

A smile grew on my face. He didn't say it often, but it made me happy when he did. I'd worked tirelessly over years to gain it. "Do you really intend to marry this girl?" It had become hard for me to accept it. All of a sudden, things were changing quickly.

"It's a possibility. Wysteria is a large and prosperous country," Byron replied. He crossed the room to me, placing his hand on my head. "You know I can't marry for love. It's rare for that to happen." He lingered, both of us silent. "In another life, Rory."

Our strange relationship gave most onlookers the idea that we might be lovers. When I'd first met him, that would have been true. Even now, the attraction between us still remained, though neither of us would acknowledge it. Being together was impossible. This was the way it had to be. "Albert is ready for us to leave. I'll go check one last time," I said, ignoring his last comment.

Thankfully, Albert arrived, giving me the chance to slip out of the room without any more comments. The fresh, cool air felt good on my warm skin. Byron had interpreted my question wrong. I hadn't asked because I was jealous. All I wanted was to ensure he wasn't going to do something he'd regret.

After my search for potential threats, I ended up back at the carriage, where everyone was waiting for me. Albert met me a few paces away, making sure no one would overhear us. "About what I told you last night…"

"It will stay between us. Like you said, this is our responsibility. Has anything progressed?" Albert asked, adjusting his glasses His knights were watching us curiously.

With a shake of my head, I sighed. "No. I haven't seen him since early this morning. Either he's smarter than I gave him credit for, or I'm losing it." I laughed to make the joke less self-loathing. I know what I saw.

Albert gave a small smile. "Your instincts are typically spot on. Don't start doubting them now."

He's right. If nothing turned out from this, fine. But if my intuition was right, then I needed to be prepared. Climbing into the carriage, I plopped onto the seat across from Byron, lost in my thoughts. Byron watched me, but didn't comment. For a while, we rode in a comfortable silence.

"You're originally from Wysteria, aren't you?" Byron's question caught me off guard. His elbow was propped on the door of the carriage with his chin resting on his palm. "Are you going to visit them?"

Shrugging my shoulders, I replied, "If I have time. You know how much I hate traveling." It was hard work leaving Stein. These people wouldn't have the same respect for Byron like the ones at home. Anyone could be a potential threat, which worked me twice as much. Plus, our last trip almost ended in a war.

He laughed, eyes still on me. "Yes, I know. Rory, what's on your mind? I'd say you look nervous."

Damn, nothing gets past this man. Staring at the wall behind him, silence took over. I could feel him watching me. When I was sure he wasn't going to let this go, I answered, "If you marry this girl…" The words became jumbled in my head, but Bryon waited patiently for me to sort them out. "What if she doesn't approve of me and what I do?"

When I returned my gaze to him, Byron had an unreadable expression, like he'd not though about it. The minutes moved slowly. After an excruciatingly long amount of time, he finally spoke. "It doesn't matter. You're my personal guard, and that is my decision."

The carriage stopped, and I noted the sun had begun to set. Looks like we will be camping out tonight. His words calmed my nerves. There's no use overthinking the future. He promised to protect me, and that should be enough. Night soon set in, and after a small dinner, everyone who wasn't keeping watch retired to their tents. I paced outside of Byron's tent, flipping my dagger around in my hand. A knight stopped in front of me to ask if King Byron had returned yet.

The panic that set into my body almost paralyzed me. A quick sweep inside the tent showed me that it was empty. Blinking, I tried to slow my heartrate. "Which direction did he go?" Casting my eyes around the area, it seemed no one had gone to accompany him. That… idiot! Setting off in the direction that the knight had given me, I grumbled to myself. Wandering the woods this late at night was not what I wanted to be doing.

Every muscle in my body tensed when I heard Byron's words, "Are you bandits?" Cursing under my breath, I rose onto the balls of my feet, moving silently closer to his voice. Byron continued to speak calmly, "And here I thought Wysteria to be peaceful. I suppose it can't be helped in this case."

The scene I came up to sent anger through my body. A girl stood behind Byron, shaking like a leaf. Between me and the King were three beefy bandits. It seems justified to assume that they were after the rich girl, and just happened to come across Byron. Flipping the blade around in my hand, I gripped the handle tight. Catching Bryon's stare, his lips turned up in to a small smile for a brief second.

"I don't intent to harm you." His words confused the bandits. "But, Rory… I can't speak for. She has a mind of her own."

At the mention of my name, they all turned to look around. Taking that as my cue, I rushed forward, taking the first man by surprise. It seemed harder not going for the kill. I figured some practice might help me for when we arrived at the castle. Each cut I made was superficial but it would cause a lot of pain. My boot connected with his stomach, causing him to gag and cough. His other men backed away, terrified.

"Let's go," He ordered through a cough.

My eyes stayed on them. "Should I—"

"No," Byron said, returning his attention to the girl. "There's a carriage just past that grove of trees. I imagine it is waiting for you. You should probably hurry."

The girl turned to look in the direction he'd told her. While her back was turned, Byron took quick silent steps, towing me along. Behind the nearest big tree, he hid us. "What-" My quiet protest cut short as he clamped his hand over my mouth, and pressed his body against mine to keep us hidden.

Stuck between his warm body and the scratchy tree bark, I rolled my eyes. It didn't go unnoticed by the King. His hot breath on my ear sent a shiver down my body. "You did follow me into the woods. Isn't this why you came?" Though he only teased, it didn't stop the images from entering my mind.

I really hate traveling.


	2. Chapter 2

The only sounds were the chirping of the crickets and our breathing. Even though the girl had gone, we still waited. With his body up against mine, it became increasingly harder to focus. "Okay, Bryon, we can head back now. I'm sure Albert is pacing holes in the ground." Actually, he might be out looking for us at this point.

Nodding, Bryon stepped back. "You did well not killing them," he said, taking my hand. The alarm registered on my face, making him laugh. "You aren't a good navigator in the woods. I'd hate to lose you."

"I can find my way back to camp," I argued.

Byron shrugged his shoulders, pulling me in front of him. "Lead the way, Starlight." The darkness hid the expression on his face.

Thankfully, it hid the blush on my own. It had been some time since he'd called me by that nickname… since I'd become his guard over three years ago. Sighing, I tried to shake my hand loose. "I need my hand back." This was a test.

"Fine, I'll allow you to have it back temporarily."

When he released me, I set off back in the direction from which I'd come. In the dark, my eyesight didn't work as well. Byron remained silent, simply following behind me. It didn't take this much time to find him, did it? Not giving in, the next step I took was the wrong one. The ground under my foot disappeared.

Byron hooked an arm around my waist, hauling me back. Both of us hit the ground. The only sound for a few moments was the hard soil falling down the drop off and splashing into the wide creek. "Still want to lead the way?" The teasing had left his voice.

Swallowing my pride, I shook my head. That drop was a long way down. One of us could have been seriously injured. The walk back to the camp via Bryon's directions had taken a fraction of the time my route had taken. Albert met us at the tree line, expressing his concern at how long it had taken us to return.

Escaping their conversation, I retreated to the fire until the two disappeared in Bryon's tent, and then I moved to sit down by the lake in the distance. It all seemed so calm out here. The hour grew later, and only a few knights were keeping guard. To clear my mind, I decided to go for a swim. No one could really see me.

Stripping out of my clothes, the chilly water made me shiver. It took a few minutes for my body to adjust to the cool temperature. My mind kept wandering back to the woods. Why did he let me do that? It could have turned out so much worse. Frustrated, I slipped under the water, letting out a scream. Once. Twice. I only surfaced for air.

The moonlight reflected on the surface. Floating on my back, I stared up at the night sky. The stars twinkled. Tomorrow we meet this Princess who might be future Queen of Stein. It all made me angry. Returning to the shore, I took some deep breaths. Handle tomorrow like a professional. Protecting Byron. That's my job.

Returning to the camp sight, I started to sit by the fire to warm myself, but a lantern illuminating Bryon's tent caught my attention. Sighing, I went to chastise him for still being awake. "It's late, shouldn't you be asleep?" I asked, entering the tent.

Glancing up from the papers he was reading for only a moment, he said, "You went swimming in the lake?" His eyes moved over the pages. "Come here."

Crossing over to where he sat on his bed, I dropped down on the ground beside it. With no argument from him, I started to apologize. "I'm sorry for what I did in—"

"I don't want your apology," Byron cut me off sharply, silencing me. Nothing was said for a long time, and I started to count the seconds as they passed. Sighing loudly, Byron dropped the papers into my lap. "Stop looking so pitiful. It doesn't suit you."

If he won't let me apologize, then I'm not talking to him. Sifting through the papers, it took a moment for me to understand what I was looking at. Protea is having another crisis and is thinking about going to war with us. Guess you kill one assassin at dinner and they lose their minds. It's not like I wanted to make a big scene. The last page caught my eye. A marriage proposal. For me. "He wants to… marry me?"

"Seems that way. He wants to tame you. He also wrote in there that a woman shouldn't be doing such grotesque work like killing assassins, but it amazed him how skilled you were. He wants you for himself," Byron answered.

I shuffled the papers around, not really looking at them anymore. "If it'll stop the war, and it's what you want, then I'll do it," I said softly. He has no real need for me. There's an entire army out there to watch out for him. Not that he really needs them. He's an excellent fighter.

Byron smacked me on the head. "You're an idiot, Rory."

"Ouch! That hurt!"

He leaned down to grab my wrist, jerking me up to my knees. With his face inches from mine, he stared into my eyes. "You are under my protection. I granted you the right to live after what you did, and I will not toss you away to Protea just to appease an old king. Don't ever make the assumption that you are useless, Rory."

I blinked, taken aback by his words. "Don't do that. Don't make it sound like I'm important to you." Twisting my wrist out of his grip, I stood to my feet. "I'm going to help keep watch. You should get some rest before our last day of travel to Wysteria. Goodnight." Taking my leave before he could say anything else stupid, I held back the tears.

Keeping watch is a good way to get your mind off things. A few of the guards told me stories about their families, and the times when they fought in a real battle. It made me forget about the feelings deep inside that had bubbled up again. By the time the sun peeped over the horizon, my resolve had been strengthened and the day ahead of me would be easier to face.

Locked inside the carriage with Bryon, however, made me nervous. Not having to ride a horse had become routine. If anyone where to attempt to attack him here, they'd have to go through me. My head bobbed as sleep tried to take over. "You should rest before we reach Wysteria. I need you at 100 percent for this mission," Byron said offhandedly, reading through more documents.

As much as I didn't want to, I allowed myself a short rest. He was right. If I wasn't at my best, then I was no use to him. While my fighting skills were strong, tiredness could cause me to make a costly mistake, especially with his "no kill" order. The thought annoyed me even as I drifted off to sleep.

The carriage jolted as it stopped, almost knocking me off the seat. Rubbing my eyes, I followed Byron out, yawning loudly. "Is this it?" The castle looked magnificent, but it wasn't Stein. I'd come to love the way Bryon's castle looked. A quick pat down of my body told me that all my weapons were securely in place and ready to be used if necessary.

"Behave yourself, Rory," Albert chastised quietly.

Giles met us at the front gate, cutting off our conversation. He showed us inside, giving Byron a quick tour on the way to the room that he would be staying in. "I didn't realize that a lady would be accompanying you today. I'll prepare a room for her right away."

"No need. She's more like a pet dog. Odds of her leaving my side at all, is slim. She'll use the couch over there," Bryon said.

Giles looked between us silently before he nodded his head. "I will arrange for some extra blankets and pillow be delivered here." He bowed slightly and left me and Byron alone.

Searching the room quickly, I collapsed on the couch knowing that it was safe in this room. "You're going to give people the wrong idea," I said, sighing. Not that I really care what others think of me. It's his image I'm worried about.

Byron laughed, moving to look out the window at the garden view. "Would you have rather been moved to another room? I can have that arranged."

"No! Of course not."

"Then quit complaining and get ready for the evening's event," Byron said as someone knocked on the door. Albert entered, silently signaling for me to search the grounds but giving Byron an update on the schedule for the evening.

The castle layout was fairly simple to memorize. More guests began to arrive for the princess's speech, which made plenty of openings for our enemies to slip inside. Checking every corridor that we'd take to get to the ballroom drew attention. A man grabbed my arm, dressed in a Wysteria guard's uniform. "You arrived with King Byron, didn't you? Are you lost?"

"Just making sure that it's safe," I replied.

"That's our job. It is our castle." He looks offended by my words.

I shrugged my shoulders. "And it's my job to ensure that no harm comes to King Byron. So, if I feel like patrolling the grounds for a while, then I will. I don't trust you, at all." Too many times had pride gotten in a guard's way because they wanted to outdo me. No part of me cared what they thought.

The man sighed, but nodded his head. "I understand."

What?

We stared at each other for a solid 30 seconds. Both of us seemed confused by the other. Snapping back to reality, I tried to tug my arm loose. "Could you let go now?" I asked. It's already so late. Byron would definitely leave me behind if I wasn't back soon.

Surprised, the man let go. "Yes, I apologize."

He's… weird. I believe that insignia on his armor means he's the captain of the royal guard. Albert has a similar marking. "You're the captain of the Wysteria guard, aren't you?"

"Yes, Alyn Crawford. And you are from Stein?" He asked.

I nodded. "Rory."

Alyn extended his hand to me. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Rory." What's with the pleasentries all of a sudden?

I can't be rude. If Byron heard about it, he'd complain to me about it for weeks. Placing my hand in his, I pointed back the way I came. "Well… I should get back to my king."

"Of course. I'll see you around."

Unavoidable. He's going to go out of his way to speak to me now. I don't have the luxury of making friends.

Making my way back to Byron's chamber, a figure outside the window caught my eye, causing me to stop. Night had set in, and from up here, it was hard to make out the person. Their movements were purposeful, cautious. My body tensed at the sight. Danger.

"Rory." Bryon's voice pulled me out of my state. "Is something the matter?"

By the time I returned my attention to the courtyard below, the figure had disappeared. Shaking my head, I ran my hands through my hair in attempt to look presentable. "Nope."

Again, Byron held my gaze with a disapproving stare. "Let's go." At least he didn't push the issue.

With me on his right and Albert on his left, it should have been impossible to get anywhere near him. The ballroom was crowded. The figure in the courtyard plagued my thoughts, setting me on edge. My eyes darted around the room, looking for anyone who matched the silhouette. Too many variables. Too many people who could possibly fit in. Resting my hand on one of my blades hidden under my jacket, my heart pounded in anticipation. Who could it be? Which one of them is the enemy?

The princess gave her speech, but my head heard none of it. The room around me filled with claps and cheers. The perfect moment for someone to slip through unheard. The man, Giles, from earlier approached us with the Princess… the girl from the woods last night. I spent too long staring at her. My attention had been captured for only a few seconds by this girl, before someone behind her raised a metal object up.

That's… a dagger!


	3. Chapter 3

My instincts to protect kicked in. Audible gasps came from all around when I jerked the princess forward and she squealed loudly, stumbling into Byron's arms. Raising my own blade with my free arm to block the dagger, it was obvious I'd only narrowly made it. This man didn't match the figure that had been following us since Stein. There must be two of them. So openly attacking the princess must be a decoy. Turning my head back to search the room, knights ran towards us.

The attacker swung his fist, missing as I ducked down to avoid the punch. Twisting under his arm that pushed his blade against mine, I swung my leg to around to kick him on the back. His body jerked forward, our daggers making a 'shink' noise as they slid apart, his clanging to the floor. Raising my foot, I planted it hard into the back of his knee. The attacker crumpled down to his knees. Entangling my hand into his hair, I jerked his head back, placing my sharp dagger to his throat. "Who are you working with? Where's your partner?"

"I work alone," the man replied, gulping down his fear.

Liar.

I know it.

Pressing the blade hard enough to draw blood, I narrowed my eyes. "Unless you'd like me to spill your blood all over this floor, tell me what I want to know," I demanded, losing my self-control. In this quiet room, everyone heard my words. My danger meter was off the scale. Another attack could happen any time. He isn't safe!

"Rory, enough!" Byron ordered, louder than expected. All eyes were on me, but only one pair mattered to me. Byron frowned, disapproving of my behavior.

Alyn, the knight I'd met earlier, blocked my view of the rest of the room. "We'll take him from here." With the assistance of other knights, the man was escorted out of the room.

Bryon gave a quick apology to the princess and crossed the distance between us, seizing my arm and practically dragging me out of the room with Albert following close behind. When the doors closed to the ballroom, he released me. "You're dismissed. Wait for me in my chambers. That is an order." Without giving any room for argument, he returned to the ballroom.

"Albert," I called, knowing now isn't the time to press any issues. When Albert's attention moved to me, I sighed. "That isn't the man that I saw in Stein."

Albert gave a curt nod, understanding what I meant. Then I was all alone in the hallway. Running my hands through my hair, I cursed under my breath. The need to punch something bubbled up. Dammit! His expression had been anger and disappointment. Returning to the room, I paced around, unable to wait patiently. It didn't take as long as I expected for him to return.

The door locked behind him, and the room fell silent, tension rising. "Rory, do you understand what you did?" He asked, as if the rules of royalty applied to me. His tone mirrored that of a parent scolding a child

I folded my arms. "I saved her life. If I'd waited, she'd be dead. They should be thanking me!" I argued. Of course, the aristocrats were terrified when blades are drawn. They've never had to face threats like that in an event like this, but my job to protect Byron outweighed all of their wishes.

"You went too far. That spectacle has caused a commotion, and I've spent the last few hours apologizing on your behalf," Byron replied. This is where the two of us really differ, and it's all because of social status. "I've told you before that this kind of behavior reflects badly on you, and in turn, on Stein since you work for me."

"I don't give a damn what those people think about me! That man isn't the one who followed us from Stein—"

Byron stalked over to me, seizing my wrists and backing me against the wall. "Rory, shut up before I decide to let them throw you in the dungeon for the night. I'm tired of arguing with you."

It irritated me when he acted like this. The same reaction came from him in Protea when an assassin tried to kill him there. It was at a dinner party with a lot less people around, but he was just as angered then as he is now. "I didn't kill him. I followed your order. Everything else is irrelevant to me." I wasn't going to back down about this. I had done my job.

A knock at the door made Byron pull away. He motioned in that direction, clearly not in the mood to speak to anyone. Crossing the room, I pulled a blade out and hid it behind my back. Cracking the door, I narrowed my eyes at Giles. "Yes?" I tried to relax but couldn't. My body was still wound up from the attempted assassination of the Wysteria princess.

"I would like to have a word with King Byron if he would be so kind," Giles said, a pleasant smile on his features.

"Rory, take a walk," Byron pulled the door further open and pushed me forward. He couldn't refuse the princess's tutor and attendant after the fiasco that had happened.

Unsure of whether I should trust this man, the door had been shut in my face. Huffing, I debated standing out here until the conversation was over, but I was too anxious to just stand idly. A patrol around the grounds to check for suspicious figures might further my investigation. It would be best to avoid as many aristocrats as possible.

The hallways were vacant, as the party in the great hall still went on. The musician's music played softly behind the closed doors. Being in another country is quite stressful. It's my least favorite part about Byron's position. Rounding the corner, I spotted a familiar person. Alyn's attention fell on me and he left the circle of knights he'd been speaking to. "Rory," his voice was low, and he seized my arm. "Come with me." Alyn lead me away from the main part of the castle, and down a long flight of stairs. It's clear he's taking me to the dungeon. "He isn't speaking to us, only asking to see you."

"You're going to let me talk to him?" That seemed out of the ordinary.

Alyn scratched the back of his neck, stopping at the bottom of the stairs. "Well, we're out of options. Wysteria law prohibits us from torturing him since he isn't a Wysteria citizen, so he says." He turned to look back at me. "I also wanted to thank you personally, for saving our princess. She would be dead if it weren't for you."

"It was nothing. I simply reacted," I replied, puzzled over this prisoner. Why me? I'm nobody. It could be because I was the one to stop him, but that didn't feel right.

Alyn opened the door to the cell that held the attacker. He sat in a chair with his arms and legs tied up to keep him from harming anyone. He complained about the tightness of the ropes but stopped when his eyes landed on me. "Oh! You brought her. Good! That's good. You're Rory Kinder, right?"

My guard went up at his words. "How do you know my name?"

He grinned and shook his head. "That's not the question you should be asking, miss. I know a lot more about you than your name." He was taunting me, but information about myself was a secret. Only a select few knew about anything before my time with Byron. It's dangerous information. "Don't you want to know what I know?"

"I doubt you know anything," I said, narrowing my eyes. I can't let him control the conversation. This could turn bad, quickly. What should I do?

"You're just like they say you are," He laughed, throwing his head back. His laugh was loud and full of cockiness. It died down and he lifted his head enough to make eye contact with me. " _I know what you two did in Freesia."_

My heart nearly jumped out of my chest. So, this is about me and Rayvis? Rayvis and I weren't really friends, but we weren't strangers either. He's an archduke who rules over Freesia in Stein, and he's a good asset to King Byron. I should warn him about this. "I'm done with this. You're not going to tell me why you attacked the princess, and anything else you spew is lies." His type never spills their secrets, even if you torture them.

I turned on my heel and exited the cell, leaving behind Alyn in my hurry. He called after me, but I kept moving. This is not good. If he knows anything about my time in Freesia, then a lot more people are at risk than just me and Rayvis. Making my way through the castle hallways, my thoughts were occupied by this assassin's laugh. It almost sounds familiar to me, but from where have I heard it?

Shaking my head, I knocked on the door to the room that had been reserved for Rayvis, casting sideways glances down the corridor for any prying eyes. The door creaked open, but I frowned at the short girl who'd answered. "Nell."

Nell was Rayvis's pet psychopath. She barely stood at five feet tall and had curly blonde hair that framed her small face. Her bright blue eyes shielded the darkness that lurked just beneath her cute façade. A sly grin tugged at her lips. "Rory! What a surprise! Would you like to come in?" She pulled the door open further, revealing that she was alone.

"Where's Rayvis?" I asked, all of my muscles tense. I could never bring myself to trust her. Why Rayvis kept her so close to him was beyond me. Bryon had mentioned once that they had been childhood friends, but Rayvis should know how dangerous she is, though I assume he can control her well enough that Nell hasn't decided to kill him.

Her shoulders rose and fell slowly. "Who knows. Rayvis sent me back to the room saying that he had some business to attend to. He shouldn't be gone much longer. I can invite you in again, if that would help." Nell's sweet voice held a hint of a threat. We'd never gotten along.

Narrowing my eyes at her, I turned on my heel. "No, I'll go find him myself."

Nell lingered in the doorway, that smile never leaving her face as she waved, satisfied she'd kept me out of the room. Her attachment to Rayvis had to be a romantic one, as she dislikes all female company around him, but there was something else that held the two of them together. One day, I might dig into what that link was.

When I finally found him, I waited around the corner for the noblemen to finish his conversation with Rayvis.

"The person you're looking for does not appear to be anywhere in our country," A nobleman said.

Rayvis sighed, disappointment clear in his tone. "Is that so? Thank you for your efforts."

"Now, as far as our payment—"

"As promised, it will be sent to you later," Rayvis replied. The footsteps headed down the hallway in the other direction, until the nobleman was completely gone. "You can come out now, Rory. You shouldn't be listening in to other people's conversations."

Slipping around the corner, I folded my arms. "We have a problem, Rayvis."

Those were the only words that left my mouth when a drunken couple of aristocrats came out of a nearby room, clinging to each other and whispering words of love to each other. Rayvis swept past me, motioning me to follow him. We'd need a quiet and concealed place to speak. Word would spread quickly if anyone saw the two of us together, and the last thing I need is for Byron to find out about this situation. Things were spiraling out of control far too quickly.


End file.
